Not Yet RecruitingNot Applicable

Optimal Acute Adult Psychiatric In-patient Care in Hong Kong

160 participantsStarted 2025-08-04

Plain-language summary

This mixed-method study aims to evaluate the optimal number of hospital beds and quality of acute adult psychiatric inpatient care in Hong Kong using online Delphi surveys for psychiatric nurses and individual interviews for service users with mental health conditions and family caregivers. The main question it aims to answer is: What are the consensus points for quality acute adult psychiatric inpatient care in Hong Kong from psychiatric nurses, service users, and caregivers? Psychiatric nurses will respond to three rounds of online Delphi surveys, while service users and caregivers will attend individual semi-structured interviews.

Who can participate

Age range

18 Years – 64 Years

Sex

ALL

See this in plain English?

AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.

I. Psychiatric nurses Inclusion Criteria: * working in the Hospital Authority on a full-time basis, * with ≥ 10 years post-registration experience, and * able to read and understand English Exclusion Criteria: * without working experience in adult psychiatry II. Service users Inclusion Criteria: * aged 18-64 * able to read and communicate in Cantonese, and * being discharged within a year Exclusion Criteria: * having a co-morbidity of learning disability, organic/neurological conditions, or substance misuse disorder III. Family caregivers Inclusion Criteria: * aged 18 or above, and * able to read and communicate in Cantonese Exclusion Criteria: * having active psychiatric conditions

Questions worth asking your doctor

Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.

1Based on my diagnosis and history, is this trial worth exploring for me — or is there a standard treatment we should try first?
2What does this trial's phase tell us about how much is already known about its safety and benefit?
3What would taking part actually involve for me — visits, tests, time, and travel?
4What are the known and possible risks or side effects I should weigh, and how would they be monitored?
5If this trial isn't the right fit, what other options or trials would you suggest I look into?

Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.

Questions for the trial coordinator

The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.

1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?

A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.

What they're measuring

consensus on the optimal number and minimum number of psychiatric inpatient beds as assessed using two numeric questions in the Delphi survey

Timeframe: 3-6 months

consensus on the optimal nurse-patient ratio as assessed using a numeric question in the Delphi survey

Timeframe: 3-6 months

consensus on the optimal length of stay by diagnoses as assessed using a numeric question in the Delphi survey

Timeframe: 3-6 months

consensus on factors contributing to the optimal numbers of psychiatric inpatient beds as assessed using four open-ended questions in the Delphi survey

Timeframe: 3-6 months

consensus on recommendations for achieving optimal acute adult psychiatric inpatient services as assessed using five open-ended questions in the Delphi survey

Timeframe: 3-6 months

experience and expectation of optimal adult psychiatric inpatient care as assessed using individual interviews

Timeframe: 1-3 months

Trial details

NCT IDNCT07097623

SponsorThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Sponsor typeOTHER

Study typeOBSERVATIONAL

Primary completion2026-08-31

Contact for this trial

Dennis Chak Fai Ma, PhD

852-27666555 dennis.cf.ma@polyu.edu.hk

View on ClinicalTrials.gov More Psychiatric Hospitalization trials

Plain-language summary

Who can participate

Age range

18 Years – 64 Years

Sex

ALL

See this in plain English?

AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.

What they're measuring

consensus on the optimal number and minimum number of psychiatric inpatient beds as assessed using two numeric questions in the Delphi survey

Timeframe: 3-6 months

consensus on the optimal nurse-patient ratio as assessed using a numeric question in the Delphi survey

Timeframe: 3-6 months

consensus on the optimal length of stay by diagnoses as assessed using a numeric question in the Delphi survey

Timeframe: 3-6 months

consensus on factors contributing to the optimal numbers of psychiatric inpatient beds as assessed using four open-ended questions in the Delphi survey

Timeframe: 3-6 months

consensus on recommendations for achieving optimal acute adult psychiatric inpatient services as assessed using five open-ended questions in the Delphi survey

Timeframe: 3-6 months

experience and expectation of optimal adult psychiatric inpatient care as assessed using individual interviews

Timeframe: 1-3 months